India – Wildlife Spectacular & the Taj Mahal
Tuesday 19^th – Friday 29^th October 2010 (11 days)



Cost per person according to group size:

This tour is run using our unique sliding price scale, where the more people who come on a trip, the less you pay – this makes our tours truly great value as our starting price for 6 participants already compares favourably to that of similar trips.
Also, if you have travelled with Altiplano before you will receive a 5% reduction on the prices below.

9-10 participants - £1,640

7-8   participants - £1,680

6       participants - £1,750

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
                                                                                                                                                                          Jawaharlal Nehru

This wonderful 11-day tour of north India has something for everyone as we go in search of the
region's birds and mammals, with special focus on seeing Tigers, but hopefully also coming across a
great variety of other wildlife, including the beautiful Ganges River Dolphin and fearsome Mugger
Crocodile.

We could expect a bird list of over 200 species; but it doesn’t stop there, for we also take a day out
to visit the magical Taj Mahal and Red Fort in the ancient city of Agra.

We shall travel by train, coach, rickshaw and on foot as we explore the culture and wildlife of this wonderful corner of the world.

                                  Tour Itinerary

 Day 1 Depart London Heathrow
 Leave Heathrow on an overnight flight to Delhi, arriving in the morning.

 Day 2 Arrive Delhi
 We arrive in Delhi in the morning transfer to Bharatpur

 Days 3 & 4 - Birding at Keoladeo National Park
 The Keoladeo National Park (World Heritage Site) –formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird
 Sanctuary – is one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world and quite rightly
 deserves this reputation. It hold some of the finest wetlands in India as well as some
 excellent scrub that is used as a feeding ground by many species. A couple of days spent
 in the reserve can result in a checklist of over 150 bird species.

 We shall spent a good part of these two days birdwatching in the Park by foot and on
 cycle rickshaws. Each birder will have a peddle rickshaw for birding and has the option to
 return back to the hotel anytime.

 We shall also take a boat trip through the park which will bring us very close to the 
 birds; we should have some excellent photo opportunities of both the waterfowl 
 and heronries.
 Some of the birds we expect to see are - Pheasant-tailed and Bronzed-winged  
 Jacanas,  Brown, Baillon’s and Ruddy-breasted Crakes, Siberian Rubythroat,
 Bluethroat, Long-tailed and Bay- backed Shrikes,  Common Grey Hornbill, Black 
 Bittern, Orange-headed Thrush, Red Avadavat, Indian Silverbill, Rufous-tailed Lark
 and Comb Duck.

 Day 5 - Bharatpur to Chambal
 We shall have an early morning start and drive to Chambal where we shall take a guided
 boat cruise before lunch. From the boat we could expect to see Indian Skimmer, Black-
 bellied tern, flocks of migratory waterfowl, Common, Demoiselle and Sarus Cranes as
 well as Gharial and Marsh Mugger Crocodiles and hopefully the gorgeous Ganges 
 River Dolphin, turtles and more.
 After lunch we will bird the area around our accommodation at the Chambal Safari Lodge.

 Day 6 – Agra – The Taj Mahal and Red Fort
 After Breakfast we drive to Agra, about an hour away, and visit the Taj Mahal, whose
 extraordinary and breathtaking beauty cannot really be captured by photograph.
 We shall also visit Agra’s famous Red Fort. In the evening we’ll board our overnight train
 to Jabalpur, sleeping in 1^st Class individual berths, for a comfortable journey.

 Day 7 – Arrive Jabalpur transfer to Kanha National Park
 We arrive in Jabalpur at about 07:00 hrs and transfer straight to a hotel to freshen up
 before breakfast.
 Feeling refreshed, we shall head off on a drive of about three hour to Kanha National
 Park where we have an opportunity for some evening mammal and bird viewing.

 The Kanha National Park in the Mandla District of Madhya Pradesh spreads over 1,945 sq.
 km of dense Sal forests, interspersed with extensive meadows with trees and clumps of
 wild bamboo. Here, amidst the extensive grasslands, we may see our first Tiger or the
 rare Barasingha Deer.

 Days 8 & 9 - Morning & evening game drives in Kanha National Park
 We stay in this wonderful setting for a couple more nights and take part in morning and
 evening games drives, with a little relaxation time around our lodge in between.

 The park holds a great variety of mammals and as well as Tiger we shall also be looking
 out for Leopard, Indian Bison or Gaur, Sambar Deer, Spotted (Chital) Deer,
 Barasingha Swamp Deer, Barking Deer, Four horned or Chousihgha Deer, Mouse
 Deer, Nilgai, Sloth Bear, Jackal, Indian and Red Foxes, Indian Porcupine, Striped
 Hyena, Jungle Cat, India Hare and some species of monkey, mongoose and possibly 
 python.

 On the avian front the park holds stork, teals, Pintails, Indian Pond Herons, egrets,
 Peafowl, Jungle Fowl, Red and Painted Spur Fowls, partridge and quail, species, Ring
 Dove, Yellow-legged Green Pigeon, Rock Dove, cuckoos, rollers, bee-eaters, Hoopoe,
 drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls and flycatchers.

 We shall have a busy couple of days keeping up with the extraordinary array of wildlife
 surrounding us!

 Day 10 – Jabalpur
 After breakfast we make the return drive to Jabalpur and have a leisurely lunch at Hotel 
 Krishna and later board a direct, overnight train to New Delhi.

 Day 11: Arrive Delhi and return to London
 We arrive in Delhi at 07:00 hrs and transfer to the airport for our return flight to London.


 What the tour includes
 Airport pick up & drop
 All food and accommodation
 Rickshaws at Bharatpur
 Boat Cruise at Chambal
 Dedicated birding guide throughout
 Air conditioned coach
 Agra local sightseeing with guide & all entrances
 Rail journey in 1^st Class air-conditioned individual berths


 What the tour does not include
 Any expenses of personal nature
 Laundry
 Tips
 Beverages
 Travel and other Insurance